Madhuri
Dixit 'The Dhak-Dhak' girl who created waves with her
dance number 'Ek Do Teen', 'Dhak-Dhak Karne Laga', 'Choli
Ke Pichey' etc is now all set to woo the audience by
portraying 'Chandramukhi' in Sanjay Leela Bansali's
'Devdas'. Madhuri has stolen the hearts of millions
by her innocent beauty, her sensuous smile and killing
looks. She was in the peak of her career when she got
married creating a sudden void and doubt in the mind
of her fans as to whether it was the end of her career.
Madhuri is now excited about 'Devdas' and awaiting its
release. According to her this is her best performance.
Seasonsindia correspondent Ekta Dhupia finds out more
about her career, marriage, husband and future plans.

Excerpts from the interview.

Tell me Madhuri why did you decide to get married when
you were in your peak and success was at your feet.
Well maybe because I was in love (laughs). Actually
it just happened. Nothing was planned and I had to get
married someday, isn't it? It was not as if I was avoiding
marriage all these years because I was busy in my career.
I had always said that I'd get married the day I met
the right man. And that's what I did.

But didn't your step to marry
bother you since the film industry tends to write off
a heroine the moment she marries. So in a way it would
have ended your career.
This is not true. What has marriage got to do with marriage?
There are and have been many successful heroines who
continued working after marriage like Madhubala, Nargisji,
Meena Kumari, nutun and have been very successful. Just
because I am married it doesn't mean I have lost my
drive to work. My husband understands that I am a professional,
and it is upto me to choose what I want to do and how
I want to handle my career. I do want to continue acting.
Of course, my priorities are different now. I will only
do films that get me charged, and are worth my while.
I am looking for good scripts and challenging roles.
How was it working with Sanjay Leela Bansali?
It was great. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. He is a perfectionist
and deals with every situation in the film extraordinarily.
My character in the film is very challenging and I can
say that it is one of the best performances I have given.

Tell us more about 'Chandramukhi'.
Well she is epitome of sacrifice and love. I find Chandramukhi's
a challenging character to play. She had lived a tough
life, seen it all in the raw. And she gave herself to
the man she loved without even knowing if he loved her
at all. It was tough because in one character you will
find shades of all emotions.

How was it working with Shah
Rukh Khan?
Oh! Great. He is very professional and at the same time
a kid who is full of energy and zest for life.

There were rumours that there
was cold vibes between you and Aishwarya on the sets
of 'Devdas'?
Who spreads such rumours? It is ridiculous. Ash is a
very nice girl. We've met and we've talked. But nothing
of that sort - no bad vibes or cold vibes or anything.

Is it true that you asked for
some changes in the script of 'Devdas'?
No, no changes. And everybody knows the story of 'Devdas'.
What changes can you make in that? And secondly, I don't
think Sanjay is someone who will make changes in the
script for anyone in the world. Once he knows what the
script is, that's it.
Your performance in Pukar is rated among your best.
What do you think?
It was one of those films I said 'yes' to instinctively.
I loved the character of Anjali. It was different from
anything I had done before.It had shades of grey. Anjali
was very human, with all her weaknesses and vulnerability.
And it was a great experience working with Raj Santoshi.
But I think my performance in 'Dendas' is the best perfomance
I have ever given.

Tell me what made you
accept the role in 'Lajja'.
When Rajji came to me first I was very hesitant. Because
there were so many characters in the film. But when
I heard the script, I liked it. It was a very interesting
character - that of a very strong woman. Of course,
all the women in the film, whether it is Mahima, Manisha
or Rekha, are strong women. It's about how they take
a stand in society and everything. I guess finally I
got convinced about doing the film.

Your
film with Ajay Devgan, 'Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke', has
been delayed for a long time. What went wrong?
Yes, the film has been delayed due to certain reasons.
There was a problem on the set earlier and an entire
schedule was cancelled. The set was standing and they
said the producer would have to break it. Something
like that. I'm not really sure. And one major schedule
got cancelled. And then one by one everything started
going haywire. But now we're shooting again. I hope
everything goes ok now.

Do you have any interesting
assignments on hand?
Yes, there are a couple, but it's too premature to talk
about them.

What does Mr Nene think of
your work?
I have shown him just one film of mine, Mrityudand,
but he didn't like it. I would like him to see Pukar,
and some of my earlier films like Tezaab, Ram Lakhan,
Prem Pratigya and Beta. And Devdas ofcourse.
How would you describe your husband, Sriram Nene?
What kind of a person is he? I see him as an extension
of myself. What struck me about him straightaway were
our common interests. He's a lot like me. Very easygoing,
loves outdoor life. It's been great getting to know
him

Will you ever consider producing
a film to give full play to your talent as an actress?
Never. I don't think I am capable of that. But I might
consider directing a film. But there's time for that.

In a recent interview you had
said that you have only done 30 percent of what you
are capable of.
I do feel that at times, because I am capable of much
more. I guess every artiste feels that way. If you are
satisfied, you begin to stagnate. I want to grow as
an actress everyday. There are so many things you can
learn and you can improve upon your skills and abilities
everyday.